Carol Nelson – Okotoks Special Meeting – Afternoon Meeting, December 17, 2006

Hymn 170, “Abide with Me”

“I triumph still if Thou abide with me.” Proverbs 8:22-31, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old.” (Lord spelled with a capital “L” means God.) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of the depth, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.” Wisdom is speaking of Jesus. God wants sons and daughters like Jesus where He can make His abode. Verse 31 speaks of those with whom God could make His abode, His habitation. Many would like to think God is abiding in them. In John 14:21, Jesus said, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. We can have Him with us; we can have His presence within us. We can be an honest person and yet have another presence with us. How careful we need to be about what we have in our home. There was a home we went to where there was everything for our comfort – every little detail taken care of. There was nothing that shouldn’t be there. Everything was in its place. There was no rubbish. It was easy to live there. The lady of the home said, “I love my home,” and it was evident. We need to be careful what we bring in so God can say, “I love this home.” I need to keep my life in order so God can work unhindered. If all is ready, He can draw near any time of the day.

How does God feel about the world when we get weary with it? How He must weary of it when He had such a different plan for it! There are some in the scriptures whose lives were a beautiful home for God. David was a man after God’s own heart. Joseph was a young person who kept wholesome in the world. We look at our young people and see God keeping our young people so wholesome and wholehearted. Joseph was so settled at 17. All his brethren, except Benjamin, were older and all were against him. His father, Jacob, sent Joseph to see his brothers. He was courageous because he had it settled that he would do his father’s will. The father loved Joseph because he was the son of Rachel whom he had served seven years and then seven more years, had served so long to win. God loves our soul because He loved His Son for what He did for us. Parents love their children all through life till they are old. Joseph was upright. Joseph dreamt of seven lean years. The Lord gives everyone who gives their life to God a vision, a revelation of the future. We have a vision that no one else can see. It will carry us through all our life’s journey. We want to be true to the vision.

Joseph was tested. He was given much glory, then came a test and crushing experience and then another test. He didn’t get angry with his brothers or say they had wronged him. He had the ornaments of meekness, humility, and forgiveness. He said, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” He spoke kindly unto them. “I triumph best when Thou abideth with me.” It’s not my triumph, but the Lord’s. All the glory and triumph goes to Him. May we keep our dwelling places so the Lord can have all the glory and all the praise.